How recreation influences choices that affect heart and metabolic health
Official title: Behavioral Economic Attributes of Recreation (BEAR): A Pilot Trial Within a Ccohort
Run by Rush University Medical Center · NCT07282418 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether increasing access to enjoyable recreational activities helps adults at risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes make healthier daily choices.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase1; Phase2 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 120 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Rush University Medical Center Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | May 11, 2026 |
| Main results expected | June 30, 2027 |
| Study ends | June 30, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | June 18, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07282418 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 18 or older who live within about 10 miles of Rush University Medical Center, are fluent in English, own a working smartphone, can complete EMA surveys reliably, and report low levels of weekly recreation and LE8 scores under 70.
✕Probably not a fit
People who already engage in frequent recreation, lack a compatible smartphone, plan to move away, or have uncontrolled serious mental illness are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This pilot uses a trial-within-cohort (TwiC) design that enrolls a representative cohort of adults and then randomizes a subset into a recreation enhancement intervention. The observational cohort (about 120 adults) completes baseline measures and frequent ecological momentary assessments (EMA) via smartphone; 60 eligible participants who show adequate EMA adherence and low baseline recreation are randomized to the intervention. The intervention aims to alter the local “reward landscape” by increasing availability and appeal of recreational alternatives to unhealthy behaviors and then measures changes in demand, delay discounting, choice context, and cardiometabolic health indicators. Outcomes will compare behavioral economic processes and health-related behaviors between those randomized to enhanced recreation and controls over the follow-up period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could help people reduce risky eating, inactivity, and substance use by replacing them with rewarding recreational activities and thus lower cardiometabolic risk.
How similar studies have gone: Prior behavioral economics work supports using attractive alternative rewards to shift unhealthy behaviors, but applying this approach specifically to structured recreation for cardiometabolic risk is relatively novel and not yet widely tested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Eligibility criteria for BEAR main cohort enrollment (N=120): * Age 18 years or older * Fluent in English * Lives within 10 miles of the study site * Not planning to move outside the study region in the next 6 months * Has a working Android or iOS mobile device they are willing to use for EMA surveys and communication with the study team * No apparent cognitive deficits that would suggest a lack of capacity to consent or complete study procedures * No uncontrolled serious mental illness, marked by an inpatient hospitalization, increase or change in antipsychotic or mood stabilizing medication, or suicidal intent in the past 6 months. Eligibility for selection into the RCT component (n=60): * At least 75% adherence to EMA surveys during the initial assessment * Complete baseline data within the observational cohort component * Participant endorses engagement in recreation less than 4 times per week based on EMA surveys * LE8 score \<70, reflecting low to moderate cardiometabolic health. * No serious substance abuse problem based on an ASSIST score of ≥27 for any substance other than tobacco or cannabis * Willing and able to try recreational activities for the next 6 months
Where it's running
-
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, Illinois, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Bradley M Appelhans, PhD — Rush University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Bradley Appelhans, PhD
- Email: EatingLab@rush.edu
- Phone: 312-942-3477
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.